Last Friday, Izzy Camina dropped her Nihilist in the Club EP, which has got you covered through quarantine. There are dark-techno pop production, dreamy kiss-off ballads, and lyrics like, ‘And I realised that one day we’re all gonna die.’ All this and more in just five tracks, so get into it! We caught up with Izzy and tried not to discuss our Corona Consiracy theories….
So, Izzy, where are you and what’s going on?
I was in LA, but I was just like, ‘I have no friends here.’ So I drove up to san Francisco with a friend and it’s two of us in a really small space so I’m in the bathroom right now talking to you. Today I am editing a visual for one of the songs on my EP. I just want to make more music. Oh and start a Tik Tok definitely. I’m being serious. I’ve completely lost my mind. Have you ever watched Daria? Because I’m constantly thinking ‘We live in a sick sad world.’
And what’s on your quarantine playlist?
Leonard Cohen, King Crule’s most recent release and I have a Celtic playlist that I played yesterday. My friend was not into it.
Ha! Now, you produced your EP yourself and it’s really fucking great. Has production always been important to you, right from the beginning?
Yeah, I never really considered myself an amazing singer. I was very shy, so I would take over the production role because that way some of the pressure was taken off the singing. I love music production obviously but I also got to hide being being a producer. Now I collaborate with people a lot more.
Is it strange opening yourself up to collaborating now?
I get really neurotic about it! Also when you’re a young woman trying to be a pop star, but also a music producer….as soon as you have any kind of name on your project, everyone is just going to look at that name and think, ‘Ok, this other person produced it. This bitch is posting selfies on Instagram, there’s no way her two brain cells could produce this.’ But so much value comes from collaboration, I have to get over control issues!
Now it seems to be that the more people you write a song with, or the bigger the amount of producers on your credits, the “cooler” you are, when really there is a lot to be said for producing something totally by yourself.
Yes! And it’s strange, I’m also very concerned that the more I say, ‘I’m a producer’ it just feels kind of try-hard, like why do I have to repeat this so much. I also don’t want people to think I am using it as a marketing point like “#GirlsThatProduce”.
I was reading that you first started work on this EP four years ago…
Yeah, I haven’t been working on it solidly over four years but for example, ‘Kill Your Local Indie Soft Boy’ in 2017.
I know when I work on something for too long I just want it out, published and to never see it again.
Fuck yes. I’m not going to be listening to my LP, I’ll tell you that! Definitely over it but that’s the joy of having a manager who can yell at you and just say, ‘Fucking put this out! You might be sick of it but other people aren’t.’ Then when people comment on the music or Like it, you’re like, ‘Oh this is fun.’ A definite morale-boost. I’m going to be excited to keep the ball rolling.
So we know you are all over the production, are you on top of the visuals too?
The visual for ‘Up’n’Down’ I did alongside a friend, Naomi when I was in London. It was just the two of us so there was a lot of stocking up on snacks from Tesco.
What was your favourite thing from Tesco?
Well, you know, I am a sucker for these ‘Carb Killers.’ I am super-addicted to sugar so I can’t eat candy bars or sweet stuff. I’ll become mega-addicted.
I’m the same!
You need to get yourself a Carb Killer then, they are full of protein and zero sugar. It’s like this protein bar with a grenade on it. It’s the most “Bro” thing in the world. This is not some Tesco promotion by the way! I’m not going to discuss it anymore unless I’m getting paid for it!!! Ha!
Yes, we need some of that Tesco money! Tell me, do you have a tactic for avoiding these local indie soft boys yet?
I am definitely over them. Now I’ve kind of come full circle and am only interested in people who are complete “normies”!
And as we are named after the biggest-selling single of 2001, we always ask everyone what is your favourite Mariah song?
Oh my gosh…Dude, fuuuuuck, I don’t know any Mariah Carey.
Well, listen I read that you liked Mobb Deep. Did you know she sampled them and also featured on a track called ‘The Roof.’
Ok, then that is my favourite! That one for sure. It totally spoke to me as a creative. What was it called again?
The Nihilist in the Club EP is out now.
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